


This Time Around

by Spiritdoombloom



Series: Maybe they will [1]
Category: Claymore (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23939101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiritdoombloom/pseuds/Spiritdoombloom
Summary: Alternative Universe where Teresa and Irene were once college love birds. Meeting again after a decade passed will young love bloom once again, or has too much happened to try and make things work.
Series: Maybe they will [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725619
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. The Meeting

Accepting the offered hand, Irene gracefully climbed out of the car and inspected who was already milling around outside the country club. It was barely nine, and she saw a few who looked ready to be poured into the back of their cars to be driven home. She was glad it was no one who worked at her company as she made her way pass with a polite smile and nods to the few others.

These get-togethers were something she’d never enjoyed since most people used it as a way to let loose, especially with the open bar. Others were there to network and poach clients, and she’d admit to doing it a few times in the past. Now she was secure in her position at the company, but she was still expected to make an appearance at these functions. Irene could almost tolerate these things if men didn’t get tipsy then decide to flirt with her when they knew she was only into women. All she had to do was get through an hour, then she could politely make her excuses and leave. 

With practiced ease, Irene worked the room, chatting with a few clients, some rivals, and of course thanking the host for a lovely time. She’d managed an hour and a half, so by now most of the guests were enjoying a good buzz while moving away from business talk. This was her sign that she could quietly slip away without anyone questioning her disappearance.

“I must say, you really know how to charm a room.” A familiar voice said, making her heart freeze. The voice she was used to hearing on lazy Sundays when time allowed them to wake together.

Steeling herself she turned to face Teresa, and a small gasp escaped her traitorous lungs. She’d blame the alcohol that she never touched for the reaction, because time did nothing but enhance Teresa’s beauty. 

Teresa stood with a small smirk on her face as her dark eyes leisurely took in Irene from head to toe. Irene couldn’t help but do the same since Teresa wore a red dress that highlighted all her assets, and memories filled her mind of all the times she had run her hands along them.

“While memory lane is taking us both for a spin, I can’t help but wonder what new discoveries I’d find out about you now.” Teresa said her smirk became more salacious. 

“What makes you think you’d ever have the opportunity again?” Irene asked, coldly refusing to show weakness to the woman who almost, no did, ruin her.

“That beautiful blush says old memories give me a shot. Slim shot, but I’m used to working under tight margins,” she said dark eyes shining with mirth.

Irene felt the heat in her cheeks, and cursed herself for being so affected by this woman. “You don’t always get what you want Teresa. Why are you even here? You were adamant on remaining in Seattle. I’m surprised you left.” 

The woman’s smile dropped slightly as anger filled her eyes, but in an instant it was gone, and she had a smile back on her face. “I needed a change of scenery, and the gloomy weather did nothing for my skin. Finally decided getting some sun might do me well.” Teresa shrugged, taking two drinks from a waiter who approached them and offered one to Irene. “I’m sure you still like a good whiskey.”

Irene declined. Teresa was dangerous enough to deal with while sober, but downright impossible to turn down with a few drinks in her. “No thank you, this isn’t a conversation I want to prolong,” she said as the other shrugged, handing off the drink to a passing man.

The dark haired man seemed surprised before getting a quick look at where the drink came from. A sauve smile spread across his face, and he stood a few inches taller than Teresa. “Good evening, now how did you know what my favorite was?” he asked smoothly, taking in Teresa from head to toe.

Teresa’s easy smile turned cold as she looked over at the man. “Not interested, I just needed to unload a drink, and you seemed like a useful place to dump it,” she said with a sickeningly sweet voice. He seemed unsure for a moment before clearing his throat and walking off.

Irene rolled her eyes before her whole body went cold. “T. Blare, Teresa Blare,” she said with wide eyes.

“Yes.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Irene hissed lowly, watching as Teresa remained at ease. “Of course you knew it was me you were fucking over. Selfish like always,” she added with a growl, walking away. She would not get into this in the middle of the banquet room. 

“It’s not fucking you over. I made a bid just as others did and got the account. Though if we’re going to be talking about fucking-“ 

“This isn’t a game Teresa, it’s my career. And I hope you don’t think you can just waltz back into my life and into my bed like nothing changed,” Irene cut her off, walking through the halls with Teresa right behind her until they reached a secluded room.

“I never thought it was. Not to mention the Rockwell’s sought me out after realizing I was in the city. I was still trying to settle in. Yes, I did find out you were pursuing them, but they came to me. You know in our line of work some clients just have their preferences,” Teresa said, setting down her drink and leaning against the pool table in the room.

“And Priscilla?” Irene glowered crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Okay, that one was on purpose. I mean she’s very promising, so I deserve that one. I was looking for an intern at least. It wasn’t like I just heard about you wanting her and stole her away. You had the chance to train Cassandra, you can’t shape all the good ones,” she said with a small laugh still watching her with knowing dark eyes.

“You could have taken Rigardo then. He’s promising as well and being sought out by a few companies” Irene said, jaw clenched wishing Teresa didn’t look so at ease.

“He’s the second best, why pick him when I could have the top? Not to mention a male intern who’s known to use his charming good looks, no thank you. Are we really just going to argue about this? I would think we had other things to talk about,” she said with a smile.

“We don’t. That time in our lives is over. I’ve certainly moved on.” Irene lied because seeing Teresa after a decade did nothing but bring back all the feelings, and focusing on current slights would keep her from angrily yelling at the woman for abandoning her. “What do you really want, Teresa?”

“It’s been over a decade Irene, can’t we just have a drink and catch up?” Teresa asked, shoulders falling slightly as her smile dimmed.

“No, have a good evening Ms. Blare.” Irene said, keeping her tone calm before leaving the room. So many emotions swirled within her, hurt and betrayal at the top of the list, but she chose to focus on the anger. She wouldn’t allow that woman to sneak her way back into her life. 


	2. New Proposal

Irene would never admit it, but she was worried about why she was being summoned for a meeting. The only problem she had recently was the loss of the Rockwell account and that was out of her control. She personally tried to dig up anything she could on Teresa after seeing her at the party, but the woman was a ghost socially. There was nothing personal listed about her, just her involvement in the business world, minus her short marriage, and even that wasn’t in detail. Aside from her charming demeanor the woman was a shark when going after what she wanted, and in one year she managed to pull in four high profile clients. But her move didn’t make sense. She seemed to be at the same level as before, and Regal was of lower regard than Becker&Davids Investment Co. It also didn't seem like she left because she got into some sort of trouble. 

That could be why the meeting was called. She was obsessed with her ex and looking into her on company time. Sitting back in her chair she took a deep breath and tried to ignore thoughts on Teresa. It wouldn’t do her good to dwell. It didn’t matter they were in the same city, Irene had her loyal customer base, she was successful and on track with becoming a partner. Teresa was just a shiny new toy in the city, and people would soon realize how picky she could be. 

“Ms. Novak, they are ready for you.” Sophia said poking her head into the office.

“Thank you. I’ll be there in just a moment.” Irene replied as Sophia gave a nod before softly closing the door back.

Irene stood fixing her hair before sliding on her blazer. At the last moment she switched to pumps that would increase her height further. She was never ashamed of being tall and reveled at how most men seemed threatened by her towering over them. Finally feeling like she had her ‘battle armor’ on she strolled out of her office towards the elevator. 

“Ms. Novak, I’m surprised you left your office.” Roxanne said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder, looking like the picture of innocence, but Irene knew the woman was a backstabber. She was quickly climbing the ranks, and her mentors pushed out of a job.

“Well, we all have to eat sometime.” Irene said glancing at her and wondering how she’d not heard the woman approach.

“True, I just came to give Elizabeth some files. What will you have for lunch?” She asked looking up at Irene smiling sweetly. 

“I’ll figure it out.” Irene said before the private elevator arrived. Thankfully the younger woman didn’t try boarding with her. 

The girl gave off odd vibes and seemed innocent, but she was hired on after interning for a year. Her first mentor ended up losing her job, and Roxanne replaced her, which wasn’t unheard of, though it was rare for someone so new to get that position. Irene vowed to keep away from her, noticing the younger woman liked to get close to those she ‘admired’.

Before she knew it, Irene stood in front of the ornate mahogany doors and did one last check over herself then knocking. She didn’t wait for a reply as she pulled open the door to enter with a neutral expression, unsure of who to expect in the room. Jaw clenching, she saw Teresa seated on the left side of the conference table engaged in a conversation with Irene’s boss , a cheerful look on her face. 

“Irene good timing, please have a seat.” Jacob Johnson said, noticing her and gesturing for her to sit at his right, directly across from Teresa. 

Taking her seat, Teresa gave her a wink and small smile. “Lovely to meet you Ms. Novak, Jacob was regaling me in tales of your prowess.” Teresa said, voice smooth as silk as she looked over Irene.

“Hm, I wish I could say I knew more about you, but you’re a hard woman to find.” Irene said while her fists were clenched under the table.

“Oh, I pay very well to keep my personal life out of the public eye.” She laughed keeping her gaze trained on Irene. 

“Hm, I noticed.”

“Now, now we aren’t here to fight. Ms. Blare approached me with an idea that I believe could work.” Jacob said while his dark eyes twinkled with joy. “And I need you Irene to head the plan up since you’re my ace.”

“What exactly is the plan?” She asked dread filling her while Teresa continued to watch her.

“Ms. Blare if you’d like to explain?” He asked, glancing over at her.

“I would love to. As you know Regal Marketing recently acquired the account of the Rockwell Group. I wish to give my client the best, but in some aspects of their company, we don’t have the proper resources. I discussed it with my client, and they are willing to split their account. We will divide up who gets which sectors of their company to market. You’ll be paid based on which sectors fall under your control, and any joint areas we split payment based on workload.” Teresa explained easily, making Irene want to growl.

Jacob obviously wanted this or the woman wouldn’t be sitting here. Irene was seeing red, though, because this felt a lot like pity, no matter what ridiculous excuse Teresa gave for doing this. There was no way her superiors were happy about losing some of the money from this account, but she’d probably gone directly to Rosemary and manipulated her into this.

“I honestly don’t see how sharing this client could work.” She lied, instantly feeling the daggers her boss sent her way.

“Pretty much for the same reasons you tried to get them to sign with you in the first place. You would have a field day with their entertainment sector, which is what you mainly wanted in the first place. We at Regal don’t deal with entertainment and won’t be branching out anytime soon. The plan was already to outsource that, so why not just work with you? It’s a win/win,” Teresa replied with that damned smile still gracing her face because she won the moment she spoke with Jacob.

Irene could try to pass this off on one of her coworkers, but Teresa would have only done this to get under her skin. She’d walk without a backwards glance if it wasn’t Irene handling it. If she let this opportunity slip away, her job might actually be in jeopardy.

“This sounds like a wonderful idea,” Irene said trying to keep the strain out her voice when she just wanted to throttle the woman.

“Great, will you be deciding now?” Jacob asked looking at Teresa while he was just itching to get things started.

“No, today was to let Ms. Novak get used to the idea. I know she has some inkling of what she’d want to handle, but I want to give her time to prepare. So all we need to do is set up for a meeting in the future to go over her choices, if that’s what we’ll be willing to give up.” 

“Ah, well Irene can set up another meeting in our conference room when you both are ready,” Jacob said looking proud of himself.

“I prefer dinner meetings.”

“Even better, Irene knows the best spots.”

“I can’t wait to find out then. Here’s my card Ms. Novak, you can call me  _ any  _ time.” Teresa said, offering Irene an elegant looking business card. 

"I’ll get into contact with you soon. Let me escort you out.” Irene said, taking the card as she rose.

“Oh thank you.” Teresa said, gathering her belongings after pulling out a binder. “This is an extensive list of what is up for offer.” 

Irene took the binder before gesturing towards the door. “I’ll talk to you after Jacob,” she said, sending a glare at the man. He merely shrugged with a grin.

They went silently to the private elevator before Irene pressed the button,casually glancing at Teresa who had a serene smile on her face. “You can’t be that pleased with yourself.”

“Oh but I am. We get to work very closely together, and this time you can’t run away,” Teresa said looking up at her with bright eyes. “Nice shoes,” she added, dragging her gaze down Irene’s body.

At this moment she was regretting choosing to wear a pencil skirt for the day, seeing that hungry gaze. “Always did have a one track mind,” Irene said as the doors opened and she stepped into the elevator.

“Can’t blame me, you’ve always been a beautiful woman, and I appreciate all your assets,” Teresa grinned following her.

Irene rolled her eyes, waiting for the descent to start before pushing the stop button. “What is your problem with me? Did what I say cause you to take pity on me? Well I don’t need it, I do perfectly well without you interfering in my life,” Irene hissed, facing Teresa who didn’t even flinch at the outburst.

“I’m guessing there are no cameras in here,” the dark haired woman teased with a smile, but it dropped when Irene kept frowning at her. “You’ve always been interesting Irene, and I want to see what changes happened in the last decade. I know you’re amazing at what you do, so this isn’t pity. You didn’t want to have a drink with me, and this seems to be the only way you’ll chat with me.”

“You’re seriously going to lose out on a few million dollars just because you want to talk to me?” Irene asked, staring at her in shock.

“Well, yes. You hate the idea of talking to me and this way you’ll have to.” Teresa said, stepping towards her. 

Irene would never admit it, but she stepped back until she was against the wall. The other held her gaze, still moving forward until there was barely space between them. Teresa dragged a hand along her side before leaning up grazing her lips against Irene’s jaw.

“I have an appointment to get to.” She whispered in a sinful drawl before the elevator car jerked back into its descent, and she took two steps back to lean against the opposite side. 

Irene let out a shuddering breath, staring at the other who seemed completely unaffected, but they’d known each other too long. She could see how Teresa took slow breaths to calm herself, her eyes darkened more than normal and just the barest blush on her tan cheeks. 

Dropping the binder, Irene pushed forward taking Teresa’s face in her hands pressing their lips together. Teresa tilted her head to the side just enough to make it a perfect fit as a moan escaped her. It felt right, and they fit together like no time had passed, but that only pissed Irene off more. The quiet ding in the background forced her to pull back just as the doors opened to the parking garage. 

Teresa wiped away her ruined lipstick with a small smile. “Didn’t know you had it in you,” she said, breezing by Irene, voice filled with need as she cleared her throat. “Contact me soon about that dinner,” she threw over her shoulder.

Irene watched those hips sway until the elevator doors closed again. “I’m fucked,” she groaned leaning her head against the cool metal. 


	3. Park Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irene just can't avoid running into Teresa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there was supposed to be a chapter before this, but I can't seem to get it the way I want. But I'm tired of waiting for inspiration to write it, so you get the next one. Yay. I have three more chapters written, but hopefully I can come up with more before those get posted.

It was a beautiful day that Irene decided not to waste as she enjoyed a nice hike that led to a fairly secluded park. To her it was one of the best kept secrets in the city, never being mentioned on hiking blogs. If she could, she would make this hike twice a month and relax under a tree for a few hours with a book. It helped her clear her mind when too many things were going on, like trying to figure out what to do about Teresa.

As the rocky path began to clear, she couldn't help but to smile at how it opened to a grassy area littered with trees. A few families were already set up with kids running around happily. Scoping out a place to sit she winced seeing a younger girl trip over her feet, face planting in the grass. 

The other kids looked as Irene felt but went to help her up. She watched someone offer her a rag so she could wipe her face causing Irene to think this was a regular occurrence. Shaking her head Irene finally spotted an area and made way to stake her claim. When she was just rounding the tree she noticed a woman with a floppy hat already sitting against the tree with a book on her lap. 

"Excuse me, I didn't realize anyone was here." Irene said turning back around. 

"I wouldn't mind if you joined me," A familiar voice said, making her look back to see Teresa smirking up at her. "Unless you're avoiding me."

Irene cursed internally because she kept running into the woman after that meeting. They'd run into each other at the store, a few restaurants, an art gallery, she thought with a blush. It was there she gave into the woman for the first time, so she was mad at Teresa for being charming, though their encounter was anything but. After that door opened any time they met with enough seclusion and time clothes came off, usually ending up more frustrated since they’d get interrupted. It was a moment of weakness, and frankly pent up stress that Irene called Teresa late at night inviting her over. 

Teresa was under no illusions of why she was invited over, wasting no time getting them to Irene's bed. This time they didn't have to rush and got to explore one another in ways that hadn't happened in over a decade. But, it wasn't the sex that got to her, she could almost seperate herself from that, no it was the cuddling after. Teresa held her like she used to, like Irene was something she still cherished. Old feelings came rushing back to the surface and she kicked the woman out in anger and hurt. 

"That won't happen again." Irene said coldly looking into her dark eyes. 

"You said that after the second time we kissed, then the third, the fourth time, well we did more than kiss. I mean you seemed pretty adamant about that time, then we almost got caught in your office." She said grinning wickedly before patting the spot beside her. "Come on and take a seat, I won't do anything here."  
Irene weighed her options, ending up removing her backpack before taking a seat near the other. She needed to lay down some rules if fate was going to keep throwing them together. Looking over at Teresa, her gaze was on the children. The little girl with chestnut colored hair and no coordination was again kicking the ball this time it flew way left of what Irene assumed was the goal. 

"She's really bad, I caught her face plant earlier." Irene said with a small wince as a man kicked the ball back and it connected with the girl's face. 

"Oh the worst, that's the fourth time she got hit. And you missed about three other face plants, the girl is a disaster." Teresa laughed, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

Irene felt offended for the girl as she spoke up to defend her, "She is still trying at least. Not many would continue to play with that kind of record. Why are you paying attention to this girl anyway?" 

"Mom! I scored a goal!" The girl screamed with a wide smile on her face looking directly at Teresa. 

Irene's eyes widened in shock looking between them as the young girl went back to playing. Teresa had a child, was all that kept running through her mind. Was she adopted, how old was she, how did Teresa have a child at all. They’d never spoken about having kids, but she could have changed her mind, or that was one of the reasons she ended it. Irene would never be able to give her biological children even if she wanted to.

“Irene, are you okay?” Teresa’s concerned voice asked snapping her back to reality.

“Yes, sorry. I get why you’ve been watching her.” She replied seeing her gaze back on the young girl again as she smiled. “Were you really going to let me talk about your daughter?”

“You hadn’t really made fun of her, more like stated the obvious. She is really bad at it, getting better, but she’s like real life comic relief.” Teresa laughed as the young girl tripped again but another kid caught her.

Irene couldn’t help but agree internally. “So, you have a kid.” She said wishing the ground would just swallow her whole.

“I do have a child, yes,” Teresa laughed looking over at her with a twinkle in her eye. “Did this break you?” 

“I’m just surprised, you’ve never mentioned her. Nor did we ever talk about kids back then. I never realized you’d want one.” Irene said looking back towards Clare feeling cold inside. All this was probably just a game to Teresa, just another notch on her bedpost to show she still had it. 

“You made it quite obvious you didn’t want to talk about anything personal, I was just respecting that. Back then, I didn’t even think I could ever be a mother, so I never thought about it really. Even after Clare was born I was still lost, but now I don’t think I’d survive without her.” 

Irene nodded, that was a valid reason about why they never spoke about it. They barely spoke about moving in together. Irene was in a dorm and she had an apartment, after a while Irene realized she spent all her time in that apartment. Before it could be brought up Teresa was giving her the lease renewal papers asking if she wanted to join it.

It was probably the same with her husband, one day it just clicked children were the next step and she got pregnant. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth as she watched Clare play, the girl was probably nine or ten. Meaning it only took Teresa possibly a year to move on, while Irene took much longer.

“When it comes to us now, we don’t need to be friends. We can be civil if we run into one another, but let’s not pretend we’re something else.” Irene said coolly, looking over at her to try and convey that this was what needed to happen.

Teresa smiled at her. “Fuck buddies then? I can be quite civil and still make you cum if that’s the issue,” she said completely serious. “I could come over tomorrow to take care of you, by now you must be a little tense again.”

Irene felt her cheeks heat as she dropped her gaze, the woman wasn’t wrong, but she hated that Teresa knew that. She hated feeling weak and once again at the other’s mercy. Things were different now, they had to be, she couldn’t just fall back under this woman’s spell.

“What about Clare? Don’t you have to be there for her?” She asked hoping that would cool the other off.

“I’m always there for her, but tomorrow a babysitter will already be there and it would be a nice little chance for us to get to know each other again, physically at least. We won’t have to exchange words since I still know what you like, after I can just leave if that’s what you need me to do.” Teresa teased resting her hand on Irene’s thigh.

“Mom, is there still water?” A small voice asked startlingly Irene out of Teresa’s spell.

Smoothly Teresa moved her hand and looked into a cooler beside her. “Of course, I know you drink like a fish.” She replied with a smile as she handed the girl a bottle. “You guys are done?”  
The girl shook her head as she chugged down the water, but her gaze stayed on Irene. Her green eyes were wide and curious as she finally capped the bottle and sat beside her mom.

“Clare you know it’s rude to stare.” Teresa said letting out a small sigh like this wasn’t the first time it happened. 

“I’m Irene Novak.” She tried feeling awkward and unsure if she should stay or go.

“Clare Blare.” The young girl said as Teresa nudged her gently. “Do you work with my mom?” 

“Not exactly, we work in the same field but different companies. Currently we do share a project, so technically we work together.” Irene said, trying not to think about the type of work they’d been doing recently. “Do you like soccer?”

The young girl smiled widely while nodding. “I’m not good at it though. My middle school has a team that I want to try out for.” She said, excited at the prospect.

“That sounds great, I’m sure your mom helps you.” Irene replied but couldn’t imagine Teresa kicking around a ball. She almost laughed at the thought until her mind caught up that the girl said middle school. “How old are you?” She asked hoping she sounded normal.

“I just turned twelve.” 

That meant they were barely broken up when the other got pregnant. Irene had never looked at the years Teresa was married, not wanting to think about it. She never wanted to think about the fact that Teresa was bisexual. It always reminded her of the things she could never give her, marriage, children, and stability that she'd get with a man. 

What she couldn't understand was how quickly she found someone, unless he'd already been in the picture. That made more sense about why she didn't want to go with Irene, she'd already planned on breaking up with her and pushed Irene into taking the internship so it was the easy way out. 

White hot rage filled her, but the young girl was asking her something. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." She told Clare, surprised at how calm she sounded. 

“My friends are ready to play so I have to go. It was nice meeting you Ms. Novak.” Clare said getting up and running off to the other kids who were watching Clare.

"I need to go," was all Irene said, starting to get up until Teresa caught her wrist. 

"Can we talk about it please?" Teresa asked imploringly. 

"Talk about how I barely left Seattle and you were fucking around? Maybe that you were fucking someone behind my back? That's why you told me to follow my dreams, isn't it? Wouldn't have to worry about trying to let me down gently so you could stop hiding your boyfriend if I left the state." Irene spat out feeling the tears, but refusing to let them fall for this woman. "You always did prefer a quick fuck, didn't you?

Teresa's jaw clenched as she released Irene. "Just go, I won't bother you again." 

Irene snatched up her bag as she got up and walked back towards the trail. She was angry at Teresa, angry at herself for trusting the woman. The entire way down the trail she thought back to their last few months together. 

Teresa had started to become distant slowly, staying at work later, making excuses to avoid dates. When she found out about Irene's internship she didn't seem too bothered. Didn't want to move, didn't want to try long distance, just ended it like their years together meant nothing. 

Wiping at her face she avoided making eye contact with the other hikers who looked concerned when she passed by. It seemed like forever before she reached her car to drive home, already planning on telling Jacob she could not continue to work with Teresa. She didn't care about the fallout that would happen when Teresa pulled out of her end of the deal. 

\----------

Clare knew something changed when they were heading back home. Her mom looked really sad now and didn't smile like normal at her jokes. She'd seen Miss Irene leave angrily and the tears her mother would deny. Clare knew Irene was more important than a college friend, her mom never cried over friends. She didn't even cry after breaking up when she was dating. 

"Mom, who was Miss Irene?" Clare asked when they'd finally got back home. 

"She told you honey, we were college friends." Teresa said tiredly and wanted a stiff drink as she walked into the kitchen. 

"Only friends? Because you guys sounded like you were more than friends." She replied following her mother, thinking about how she looked at Miss Irene. 

"Yes, only friends. Let's not talk about this right now."

"But mom-"

"Not now Clare." She shouted slamming her palm onto the counter. 

Clare jumped, mouth clamping shut as tears sprang into her eyes. Before her mother could reply she shot off to her room and closed the door sliding down against it. She took deep breaths, but the tears rolled down her face.

"Fuck!" Teresa swore harshly clenching her fists. She took a few moments to calm down before going to her daughter's room. "Clare." 

The click of the door locking was exactly what she didn't want to hear. Sighing she sat on the floor, back against the wall beside the door. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you. Irene and I didn't have a good talk and it got to me. That doesn't mean it was okay for me to yell and I am very sorry I snapped." Teresa said resting her head against the wall and sighing. 

"Was she more than a friend?" Clare asked after a few quiet moments. 

"No, we just, it's complicated. But we were friends." She replied voice strained, because her girlfriend didn't even capture what they were to one another. 

She heard shuffling on the other side of the door and glanced at it curiously. Clare had to be ruffling through her drawers until finally coming back and a picture slid under the door. Teresa picked it up to see the day of her wedding, she had only been four months pregnant with Clare and not showing thankfully. 

"People say weddings are one of the happiest times in your life, but you two look like you'd rather be anywhere else. When Miss Irene spoke to me you looked at her like you look at me." 

Staring at the photo there was no denying that neither of them wanted to be there. Their wedding album was the only time she and Matthew were in a photo together. She wasn't even sure if there was a single picture of him with Clare. 

"Okay, we dated a bit. Things didn't work out and we never had a proper talk about it." Teresa said which was mostly honest, she thought. 

The door opened suddenly with Clare holding out another picture. Her heart dropped because she remembered that day. Teresa managed to convince Irene to ditch class and they went to the pier, where they just had fun. At the end of the day Teresa got the other into a photobooth and no one could deny she looked at Irene as if she was her everything.   
"You 'dated a bit' after dad and I never met them, you didn't even look close to this when you spoke about them. Or try to lie to me." Clare said, pulling back the photo strip when Teresa reached out for it. 

"You can keep it, I just-. Irene and I were complicated and I loved her more than I ever thought was possible. It wasn't always sunshine and roses, but I could have spent the rest of my life with her." 

Clare frowned sitting next to her mother, "Why didn't you?" 

"I got scared. I dated around before her and from the moment I saw her I was drawn in. I planned to, uh, I planned on just hooking up thinking that would solve my problems. But it wasn't like that with her, we started dating sophomore year and never stopped." 

"One day I woke up realizing I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to propose, get a house, do the whole thing. And it terrified me." She admitted, never told anyone this before and no one ever really tried to make her talk about it either. 

"Why?" Clare asked softly, confusion etching her features. 

"You know how your grandparents aren't exactly loving and affectionate?," she asked, waiting for the young girl to nod. "Well, that's how I was used to seeing marriages. Theirs was a marriage of joining two old money families. That's how the majority of marriages around me were. Even some of my friends were marrying right out of college to those they were expected to, but didn't love. I was scared we would turn into one of those couples. My parents were even pressuring me to settle down since I was done with school. I didn't want to take the risk that we would fall out." 

"Is that why you married dad?" 

"Yes." 

"But you were already pregnant." Clare voiced looking away from her mother. 

"What boxes do you have Clare?" Teresa asked, worry filling her voice as she reached out to her daughter. 

The girl flinched back, glassy eyes looking away. "You had me not too long after marrying dad. So you had to be pregnant during the wedding. And that means you had just broken up with Irene."

Teresa sighed unsure if she should tell her the truth, but Clare could already know or suspect. "Can we shelve this for like two more years?" She asked, but the girl shook her head. "I broke Irene's heart and pushed her away because I was scared, but it hurt me too so I fell back into my old habits. One night with your dad, well you happened. I planned on keeping you regardless of what happened, but your grandparents found out about him. So they pushed us to marry and I didn't really fight it. This was normal I thought, but it was never easy. We weren't compatible, it didn't ever feel right and I didn't like to be around him, because of that I know you suffered." Teresa said, pulling Clare into her arms this time the young girl allowing the contact. "Know that I have always loved you, I may have been shit at showing it, but you were always my heart."

Clare nodded and hung onto her mother tightly. It was always vague because she'd been so young but she knew her parents weren't like other parents. They rarely agreed and she didn't have a single memory of them not arguing. It was better when he left, her mom was around much more and it felt like a family. 

"Do you still want all that stuff with Miss Irene?" Clare asked suddenly looking up into her mother's surprised eyes.

Teresa was about to say she was unsure, but she knew if Irene gave her the chance she wanted it. She had never stopped wanting to be with Irene and even now she ached with the hope that they could reconcile. 

"Yes." She said softly, not seeing her daughter's wide smile and mischievous glint in her eyes.


	4. New Friends

Clare sat in front of the school writing out a pro and con list of her getting her mom and Miss Irene back together. She wouldn’t think her mom needed help, but she didn’t seem like her normal confident self with this woman. The con list was extensive and mostly ways this could go badly that she’d seen happen in movies, but the major pro was her mom would be happy. 

She knew her mother loved her and was happy overall, but there was always something missing. After meeting Miss Irene and seeing the way her mom looked at her it all made sense that she still liked her. Clare even still had their old photos hidden away in her room, though her mom did attempt to discover their location.

“You’re out here kinda late.” An unfamiliar voice called out.

Clare looked up to see a dark haired sophomore standing a few feet away. She’d seen the girl around, usually with two eighth graders following her around. 

“My mom is running late.” She said staring at her curiously.

“If she’s going to be a bit you can join us at the field. Some girls are having a little soccer game.” 

Nodding with wide eyes she packed up her notebook and started to follow the other girl. “I’m Clare.” 

“Miria, you like soccer?”

Nodding quickly she smiled as they made way to the field where a few other girls were playing. It wasn’t a real game and they only used half the field, but it looked like fun. Clare watched eagerly at how skilled a lot of the girls were dribbling the ball around and making quick passes. Miria nudged her forward so they could keep walking.

“You can join if you want.” Miria said, dropping her bag by some benches to put her hair up.

Clare stared at the girls already playing and how easily they moved with the ball hardly ever looking down. She wasn’t even close to being able to do that and would just slow down whatever team she joined. 

“Oh, no. I’ll just watch.” 

Miria looked at her for a few moments, then nodded and removed her blazer to go join the others. Clare watched them happily until one of the girls who followed Miria around joined her at the bench.

“Surprised to see you here. Normally you’re being whisked away barely after school lets out.” The hazel eyed girl said with a smirk. “Hey, you’re that sixth grader always with Galatea right?"

Clare nodded slowly not sure what that had to do with anything. “She’s my friend.” 

“That’s cool, so how do you know her? The three years I’ve been here I never really seen her hang around others.” 

Clare shrugged, not sure how to answer it. Galatea was just her friend, and she wasn’t completely oblivious to the looks they got when hanging out together. The older girl was just nice to her and didn’t mind doing things with Clare.

“Helen, stop bothering the kid.” A pixie haired blonde called out approaching them with a frown.

“I’m just getting to know her!” The other said in mock outrage.

“Whatever, do you want to play with us? Miria said you like soccer.” The blonde said.

“I’m not good at it.” Clare replied looking away.

“That’s cool, Helen and I can show you some tricks then.” The blonde said, seemingly not bothered at all by this.

Nodding, Clare got up and removed her own blazer before following the two girls to the empty side of the field. She learned the blonde was Devene and played for the middle school soccer team along with Helen. Both showed her how to dribble and a few other tricks, Devene was definitely the more patient of the two. 

The younger girl was getting the hang of things when a wild kick by Helen sent the ball directly at Clare. It struck her face directly and she fell back from the force. 

“Oh god, are you okay?” Helen said heading towards Clare, barely having a chance to dodge the soccer ball coming at her face. “What the hell.” She exclaimed looking to see it was Galatea walking from the direction the ball came. 

The senior had a scowl on her face as she approached the trio, Devene was helping Clare sit up and hold a towel to her bleeding nose. Aside from being a little dazed the younger girl didn’t seem too bothered by the hit.

“You guys get your kicks attacking newbies?” Galatea growled almost shoving Devene out the way to check on her friend.

“It was an accident. We were just showing her some moves, no need to get your panties in a bunch.” Helen said, rolling her eyes, but she was concerned for the younger girl. “Are you okay kid?”

Galatea helped Clare get up before facing the loud mouthed girl. “You don’t talk to her, don’t even look at her again.” 

“We were just keeping her entertained while she had to wait. Didn’t see you around keeping your friend company.” Helen started, she didn’t care at the moment if the other was towering over her.

“Relax, it was just an accident.” Devene stepped between them as it was looking like a fight would break out.

“Tea, it’s okay. We were just playing and it’s not the first time this has happened to me.” Clare tried, tugging on the older girl’s blazer with one hand as the other kept the towel on her nose.

“Those were friendly games with kids your own age, not two soccer players who should have better ball control. If the brat lets me smash her nose in we can just call it even.”

“Touch my friend and you’ll have more than just one of us to deal with.” Devene growled out looking up at the senior.

“Both of you get to the other side and cool down.” Miria called out though neither girl moved. “Now.” 

Finally they backed away from Galatea, but Helen chanced a glance towards Clare. “Sorry about that, honest.” She said not missing how Galatea looked ready to pounce.

“Excuse them, they share a brain cell. Sadly, Helen seems to have it most of the time. It was just a friendly session, I noticed Clare out front and invited her to the field.” Miria explained watching as the senior relaxed marginally.

“Thanks, you’re Miria right?” Galatea asked and got a nod in affirmative. “Cool, since I’m sure those two belong to you, keep them in line. I’ll take Clare from here.” 

“No problem." Miria said then glanced towards Clare. "See you around."

Galatea faced Clare and slowly removed the towel to see the bleeding stopped. "I have some baby wipes in my car so you can clean up. Let's get you home." 

Clare nodded and quickly got her stuff before returning to the older girl. They went to the student lot where Clare got into the older girls sports car. Galatea gave her the wipes to clean up and offered a small bag for trash. 

"How did you know?"

"Your mom sent me a text asking if I could take you home and watch you. She figured you wouldn't have told me she was going to run late." Galatea replied, pulling away after Clare buckled up. 

"It's Friday. You could have had plans. I didn't want to bother you." She said softly avoiding the other's gaze. 

"So, unless it's something important I don't mind cancelling my plans if you need help. You being stuck at school waiting is something you should mention." 

"Okay. Did my mom mention how late she'd be?"

"No, but it'll be fine. We're going to get your homework done and have a girl's night." The other said excitedly to cheer her up. 

"Finished it already, can you help me set my mom up with someone?" Clare asked suddenly. Galatea was almost an adult, she would know how to handle this. 

"Uh, you want me to find your mom a boyfriend?" Galatea asked unsure. She took a quick glance at Clare catching the offended look. 

"No, she's still in love with her college girlfriend. I met her last weekend, then they had a fight. Mom has been weird all week and I heard her boss complaining about something she did. She never messes up at work that bad." Clare said hoping Galatea would be able to help her out. 

"Okay, I'll help you when we get to your place. Are you sure this is the right thing to do though?"

"My mom looked happy when I was talking to Miss Irene, like happier than I'd ever seen her." 

"Okay, that's good enough for me then." Galatea said hoping this wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass.


	5. Blind Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clare finally gets them in the same room.

It took three weeks, Clare bribing her mom's secretary Hilde, and Galatea working some mysterious connections she had to get a blind date set up. Her mom wasn't an issue, she told her she made new friends and they invited her to a sleepover that she wanted to attend. That at least was true, Helen kept popping up at school to talk to Clare and apologize as well as help her with her soccer skills. That meant Devene was around and Miria kept in the background to ensure Galatea wouldn't freak out. 

The two girls invited Clare to a sleepover since the following morning they were going to watch a game with Miria. That made it the perfect time to enact the plan, which was getting Teresa to go to the restaurant under the pretense she needed a night out, which was being handled by Clare and Hilde. Galatea used her family name to score a dinner meeting with Irene and she'd arrive at the restaurant first. From there it would be up to her mom to actually talk to the other woman and explain. Well, Galatea promised to stick around to ensure the two spoke instead of storming off. 

Only problem was her mom was having trouble letting her go. "Mom, you already agreed and Helen is on the way with her mom. You met her last weekend. You let me go with Galatea all the time." Clare said from inside the large walk-in closet. She was sorting through dresses to find a good one. 

"Yes, well you've never done a sleepover. Why are you picking out a dress for me anyway?" Teresa asked from in her bedroom still. 

"So you look attractive if you meet someone. You should date, I like it being us, but you should have someone in your life besides me." Clare said while finally spotting the dress she'd been looking for. Grabbing some black heels to go with it she walked out the closet. "You're wearing this and put your hair up." 

Teresa looked at the outfit with a raised brow, "Are you hoping I meet someone tonight?" She laughed out and caught her daughter's serious look. 

"You've haven't been as happy since the park, I want you to treat yourself mom." Clare said sincerely as their gazes held. The doorbell going off cut the moment short. "Okay, that's for me. I love you, look pretty." 

Clare was already darting out the room. "You aren't leaving until I say hello." Teresa called out as she pushed herself off the bed heading to the front door. 

She couldn't help but smile seeing her daughter already at the door with a small bag. A short haired hazel eyed girl was smiling as she spoke with Clare, while Martha, Helen's mom watched them. The older woman looked up at Teresa's appearance with a warm smile. 

"Thank you for hosting, Clare has been excited for her first sleepover." Teresa said warmly, giving the other a smile. 

"Trust me it isn't a problem, I'm fairly certain Devene lives with us at this point. One more kid wouldn't make a difference." Martha laughed as Clare beamed up at her sweetly. 

"I still appreciate it, Clare does have a list of a few numbers I can be reached at. My secretary is there as well, oh and Galatea." Teresa said, feeling unusually nervous. It made sense because Clare was never away from her, usually it was Teresa who had to leave for trips and even those were kept short. 

"Don't worry, I felt the same way my first sleepover with Jared, my firstborn, so I understand. Clare will be perfectly safe in my care." The woman said in a low kindly tone to reassure her. 

"Okay, sorry. It's just really new to me. I'll let you guys go, be good Clare." She said, giving her daughter a look. 

"I'm always good." The girl replied looking confused before giving her mom a hug and heading off to the car with Helen. 

Teresa watched then leave before going back inside. She's used to the silence, but it never felt this oppressive. Clare was normally hanging out within the house at least. Going to her room she eyed the dress wanting to just cancel the reservation, but Clare went through the trouble of doing this for her. With a sigh she headed to the bathroom to prepare herself. 

\--------

Irene stepped out of her car feeling like things were finally getting back to normal in the world. She had a meeting to see about representing Aldrich Pharmaceuticals, which was a surprise to her. Jacob had let her know they wanted a one on one dinner meeting with her just to see how they got along. Irene accepted since there was nothing else on her plate at the moment after Teresa stopped bothering her. 

Irene had gone into work that Monday after the incident in the park ready to drop out from working with Teresa no matter the consequences, only she found out the deal was done. Teresa gave up almost everything Irene had wanted and finished the contract negotiations through her intern citing no need to meet in person any longer. The few events that the both attended wasn’t even a problem, Teresa stayed away and didn’t make eye contact or attempt to talk to her at all. It helped, but she saw why the woman got the reputation she got. Teresa could completely close off her expression and give off this aura that encouraged people to leave her alone, but she’d keep a damned smile on her face that felt like a threat.

Shaking her head slightly Irene tried to rid her thoughts of the woman, they were done and she had to move on with her life again. Entering the high end restaurant she kept her head up as she approached the maitre d desk.

“Good Evening ma’am and welcome to Byzantinum how many I assist you?” A man said, giving her a pleasant smile.

“I have a reservation under Aldrich.” Irene said.

“Perfect, right this way ma’am. You’re the first of the party to arrive, your server will bring out the menu for the evening.” He said leading her into a private room with a table set for two.

Irene took her seat confused because she expected there to be at least two from the company that would be her. She barely had time to ponder as the waiter swept into the room, a charming smile on her face.

“Good evening Ms. Novak, my name is Galatea. I’ll be your server for the evening. Once the rest of your reservation arrives I will bring out the menu. Would you like the wine list for today’s dinner?” She asked smoothly.

Irene thought something was eerily familiar about the girl, but she brushed it off. “Not yet, thank you.” She replied choosing to resist getting a drink to loosen up a bit. 

“Of course ma’am, I’ll get you water to start.” The girl said breezing away before quickly returning and filling both glasses with practiced ease then left through the small arch again.

Taking a deep breath Irene sipped some of the water, she contemplated checking her phone but didn’t want to risk seeming bored with whoever showed up. As she ran through her options light footsteps drew closer and she rose from her seat in expectation.

“Have a wonderful evening ma’am.” The maitre d said not leading them all the way in.

Irene frowned for a moment until Teresa walked in looking like a vision with an off the shoulder black dress and a high slit, her hair done up tastefully with soft ringlets just barely grazing her shoulder. Irene wanted to be angry that the woman pulled a stunt like this again, but the genuine shock on Teresa’s face was telling her this was just as much as a surprise to her.

“Please take a seat ma’am and we may get this dinner started.” The server said gently nudging Teresa who’s gaze snapped back at her.

“What. The. Fuck.” Teresa hissed harshly at the server eyes ablaze.

“Please take your seat Ms. Blare, Clare didn’t make sure you got dolled up just to storm off.” Galatea said lowly, but Irene was still able to catch it.

Irene frowned wondering what Clare had to do with this and how Teresa knew their server. Teresa continued to glare at the younger girl before taking her seat. “Whiskey double, now.” She hissed at the girl.

“Sorry Ms. Blare, the wine paired with dinner is the only alcohol choice of the evening.” Galatea said, still keeping her pleasant smile. 

“Galatea, if you don’t bring my drink I will go pick up Clare and ground you both.” The dark haired woman said looking up at the blonde with such a deadly expression that it had Irene sitting up straight.

“Fine, you get one. Here’s the menu for the evening.” The blonde huffed setting down two menus before walking off, “I don’t even live with you.” She grumbled before the door to their room was closed.

Irene watched as Teresa avoided her gaze and picked up the menu studying it like a ten page report. Glancing at the second menu she saw it was only a five course menu, so not worth all the time Teresa was pouring into it.

“How did this end up happening?” Irene asked, but her mind kept going back to their last conversation.

“Oh, not going to accuse me of being a slut orchestrating another means to get into your pants?” Teresa asked feigning surprise before Galatea returned with the drink.

“Once all the dinner guests arrive the first course will be brought out.” The girl said before looking at Irene. “Did you need a drink as well Ms. Novak.”

“No thank you, may we have some privacy until it’s time for the first course?” Irene asked, smoothly looking over the girl and realizing just how young she was.

“Of course Ms. Novak.” Galatea said before leaving the room again.

“Look, I’m lost here and you seem like you know how this happened. I do believe you didn’t plan it. I was told Aldrich pharmaceuticals wanted to meet with me for the possibility of me overseeing their account, today was just going to be a meeting to see how we got along.” Irene said, wanting answers.

Teresa laughed before taking a healthy drink of her whiskey. “Our server, Galatea Aldrich, goes to school with Clare who didn’t want me at home alone. She set up this dinner for me and picked out my dress. It's very easy to get both of us in the same room without the other knowing apparently.” 

Irene frowned, that’s why the girl looked so familiar, she’d met her a few years ago at her mother’s campaign. Teresa went back to staring down at the menu with blank eyes occasionally sipping her whiskey. She hadn’t wanted to see the woman but now that they were in a place to talk without issue she needed answers. She could take Teresa’s silence as guilt, but she had to hear it from her.

“Did you cheat on me?” Irene asked watching Teresa tense, but she didn’t look up.

“You’ve already made up your mind about what happened. We don’t need to talk, I already told you I wouldn’t bother you again, so we can just get this meal out the way. I’ll talk to my daughter about not doing this again and you’re free of me.” Teresa said, glaring at her as she put down the menu.

“No, you don’t get to do that Teresa. You’re the one who pushed me away, months before it ended you pushed me away. Then I find out you have a kid, who’s age lines up with basically the exact time we’ve been broken up. What do you expect me to think? You never told me anything, until you started pulling away nothing about us seemed like you wanted to break up.” She replied angrily, fists clenched under the table as she stared at the other woman. They held each other’s gaze until Teresa sighed and seemed to deflate, no longer looking strong and defiant. She looked pained, like how Irene felt for years after their break up.

“I didn’t cheat, I would never cheat on you. You know about the reputation I had before we started dating, well after I made you leave I fell back into old habits. I met Clare’s dad at a work party and wanted to try and forget you, we weren’t careful and I got pregnant.” She said looking detached from the whole thing. 

“Why even marry him? I don’t mean this in a negative way, but why keep the baby?” 

The flash of anger in her eyes told Irene that was not the question to ask, but she was curious about what drove her. “I wanted to keep her, single mom or not. Matthew, Clare’s dad, didn’t know about me being pregnant and I hadn’t planned on telling him. I was telling Rafaela, and her sister overheard revealing it to their parents, who told mine. They weren’t exactly mad I got pregnant, just that I lied about not knowing who the dad was. Both our parents pushed for the marriage and we gave in.” Teresa explained without looking at Irene.

Before she could reply a light knock was heard and Galatea entered with the first course. “Since you both know I’m not a real server, this is whatever the menu said. Do either of you want wine or another beverage before I go?”

“Just leave the pitcher of water in here.” Teresa said and the girl quickly retrieved the pitcher. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem Ms. Blare. I’ll knock again in about fifteen minutes to collect the dishes.” Galatea said leaving the room as quietly as she entered.

They both ate quietly while Irene thought about what she said, it was plausible and Teresa’s parents were all about proper backgrounds. She was never sure if they really even liked her, though that might account for why Teresa broke up with her as well. If she hadn’t met Teresa’s family she would have questioned how the other could have given into that kind of marriage, but it was what she’d always known.

“I take it your parent’s never approved of me.” Irene said not looking up from her food.

“What, no, they loved you. You were dedicated, smart, literally had a ten year plan that could account for sudden changes. Hell they still ask about you and why I didn’t marry you.” Teresa said with a small laugh, until she realized what she said.

“Wait, they wanted us to get married? What the hell happened Teresa? Everything was going well, I got that internship and you had offers from all over the country. We were happy, or at least seemed to be.” Irene said staring at the dark haired woman.

“I got scared, one day I woke before you and I loved it. You looked so peaceful and beautiful, I found myself thinking I could marry you. That was all it took for me to realize that no, I did want to marry you. I wanted us to get a house, like one of those damn white picket fence type area homes. I wanted us to get a pet together, but that didn’t sound right, so I thought about kids. I wanted kids with you, wanted to share the rest of my life with you, waking beside you. And it scared me. I never doubted that I loved you, but until then I didn’t realize just how in love with you I was.”

“I never saw marriages that shared the kind of passion we had, most of my friends married who their parents picked out. Others married the one they thought would give them the best life. I was scared we would stop loving each other and be like them, I didn’t want to risk souring what we had and growing to just tolerate you.” Teresa said before biting her lip while looking away.

Irene was almost angry that it was only fear that drove them apart, but she knew fear as well. Knew how it could make you do less rational things, stop you from doing things you normally enjoyed. There were many times she wanted to end their relationship because it was going so well.

“Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

“We’ve never been great at talking. It took months for me to learn your quirks, I prefer showing you how I feel. And I never had to tell people my emotions because I’d never felt deeply about someone until you, then Clare. So there, you know why I did what I did. Do you have your closure?” Teresa asked, her mask firmly back in place now.

Just as Irene wanted to respond Galatea returned making her growl. “Did you drive?” She asked while the young girl froze looking between the two.

“No.” 

“Let’s go to my place, we won’t be interrupted. Or just some other place a teenager won’t be walking in on us every few minutes.” Irene said, not ready to forgive her for giving up on them so easily yet, but she wanted to talk more.

“Oh thank god, please leave. I was not cut out to do this.” Galatea said looking at Teresa. “I’ll even tell Clare that there was no bloodshed.”

“You’ll bring Clare home tomorrow and I’m having a talk with you both.” Teresa said, glaring at the young girl as she stood. “Let’s go, but can we grab something on the way?”

“I have food at my house. This doesn’t mean things are fine, I’d just rather we not have to worry about being bothered.” Irene replied while rising and getting out her wallet.

“Don’t even think about it, Galatea is paying for dinner.”

“This was not how I envisioned getting thanked, but oddly enough it was how I thought it’d go. You two crazy kids have fun.” Galatea called out as they left.

Irene followed Teresa to the valet section outside and handed over her ticket. “You know the last time you invited me-”

“If you make any sex jokes I’ll just leave and take you up on being no contact.” Irene hissed out, but that cocky smirk was back on her face. It didn’t bother her as much knowing that this was just another mask the woman wore, she could see that Teresa was nervous despite it all.


	6. After Dinner Coffee

When they had arrived at Irene’s home after a silent car ride the woman invited Teresa to at least remove her shoes to be somewhat comfortable then leading her to the kitchen and getting out the ingredients for a BLT. Before Teresa could ask, she was also pulling out eggs and an avocado. Shutting her mouth she was stunned Irene remembered what she liked. 

"So, are we going to talk?" Teresa asked watching the other wash her hands and get out the dishware needed. 

"After we eat, you're more snappish when hungry. Have a seat." Irene said back to her as she turned the stove on. 

Teresa wanted to be offended as she sat at the island, but it was true and Clare shared the same trait. She watched Irene fry the bacon with ease and it brought old memories back. Teresa basically lived off take out in college until they moved in together. Irene grew up helping her mother in the kitchen so she learned how to cook, Teresa grew up having someone prepare the family meals. 

"Why move here? I'm sure other ad agencies wanted you." Irene said slicing up a tomato with ease. 

"This one gave me more freedom with how I work. I needed to decrease my work load, and this was the only company that would allow me that as well as not taking a large pay cut." She answered looking around the kitchen. It was modern with stainless steel appliances and looked like it hadn't ever been used. 

"You're still at the top of your game, why would you want to?" 

"Work isn't everything, not anymore. Clare saw her nanny more than me the first few years, and I missed so many milestones because I chose to pour myself into work. I never wanted to miss another milestone again and I want to be able to participate in her life. I'm not hurting for money either, so why not take the time to enjoy life." She said with a small chuckle until remembering Irene's life. 

Irene's parents had been poor, they had immigrated to America and struggled a bit. Even once things were stable that mindset never truly left them and Irene shared it. The woman worked hard for everything she had and Teresa knew she gave back to her parents. 

"It's fine, you knew I was here though?"

"Yes, I looked you up before I took the job. I wanted to see if you were still in the city and weighed my options on coming here.” She said as the other easily assembled the ingredients.

Irene plated both sandwiches before setting one in front of Teresa, who was not ashamed to admit such a simple meal had her mouth watering. Irene grabbed two bottles of water and waved for Teresa to start. Digging in she hummed in pleasure at how good the sandwich tasted, it may have just been hunger but it was better than she expected. 

“I watched you make this and no offense, but this tastes way better than I expected.”

“Organic lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado then I buy the bacon from a butcher. I made the bread yesterday.” Irene said casually.

“You  _ made _ the bread?” Teresa asked skeptically.

“Making bread isn’t hard, have you finally stopped burning toast?”

“Oh ha ha, yes I have.” Teresa smiling into the sandwich a little as she caught a small smirk on Irene’s face until she remembered who she was joking with.

They finished eating soon with her helping Irene clean up before moving to the living room. Sitting across from one another neither said a word for what seemed like eternity.

“I really can’t process you giving into fear, you were the fearless one between us. Always the one getting me to open up as far as you knew I’d be comfortable, getting me to try new experiences.” Irene finally said looking up at her with a pained expression. 

“It was different, as I said I knew I loved you. Things were safe and fun, but I never realized how deep in love with you I was. Before you, if I did ever date I could always drop them without a second thought, over time with you I didn’t want to. I just never realized until then I didn’t want to be without you and it scared me to feel like that.” She said looking away from Irene’s focused gaze.

“You’ve never felt a deeper connection with anyone to recognize that?” Irene asked with a scoff.

“Irene, you know I love my parents, but I’m not close to them. We play our roles as a family, it was expected they marry and have at least one child, so they did. I was shipped off for school and saw them on holidays. The way you love your parents, I never understood it before since it wasn’t and still isn’t like that for me.” She replied glaring at the woman.

Teresa had never understood why Irene would willingly call her mother to talk to her, check up on her father and listen to his really bad jokes while speaking of sports. With Clare she’d understood it, and realized how often she used to listen to Irene talk about hobbies, even if they didn’t interest her..

Irene looked like things were starting to make sense. “Teresa-”

“I’m just explaining what my thought process was back then, I was friends with the children of my parent’s associates and ‘friends’ being honest wasn’t really a thing. So no, I didn’t know how to handle what I felt for you and did the wrong thing. It wasn’t like you even fought for me, you gave up just as easily.” Teresa lashed out, looking at the other woman with hard eyes. 

Irene’s jaw clenched as she took a deep breath. Getting into a shouting matching wouldn’t solve anything, not when they both could easily say something cutting. “You already know why I gave in Teresa. I tried to talk to you, maybe not hard enough, but to me you were always out of my league. Maybe it was a bit my fault as well, I always expected we’d break up. That you would find someone on your level, so I didn’t try either.”

“You were always on my level, I never thought any less of you. In a lot of ways you were the better of us, I always admired how hard you worked. How you pushed yourself to be the best.” She replied after a moment to calm herself back down as well.

“Still came second to you in our shared classes.” Irene said in a dry tone remembering how Teresa would just breeze through courses. 

“I mean I  _ am  _ just that good.” Teresa said, giving the other a wink.

“You have an eidetic memory, no one was getting close to you. We’re both to blame for what happened back then, I will admit that.” 

Sighing, Teresa took a moment to reply. “It was mostly my fault, I really should have spoken to you. I let my fear rule my decision and said so many hurtful things to get you to go. I almost considered leaving you alone when I moved here, but the thought of never taking that chance again hurt more. If you’d be open to it I do want to take you out on a date that I actually planned.”

The other was quiet for a moment watching her with serious eyes. “You want to try again?”

“I do, told myself if we just hooked up everything would go away. Then I saw you at the country club and I knew either we worked something out or kept out of each other's way. Yes, we did hook up, but that night you called me over I know we both felt it was different than the other times.” Teresa said with an open expression on her face that Irene rarely saw.

“It felt like before, like time hadn’t passed for a moment. I was mad at myself for letting my guard down after that, then the incident at the park happened.” Irene said, but she was thinking about what Teresa said about the date. “Clare really is fine with you dating again?”

“She was behind tonight happening, I thought I was going to have a nice dinner alone while rebuffing men who would hit on me because of the outfit she chose. I’m glad we were able to clear this up, but I should head home.” Teresa said, beginning to rise.

“I’d want to take it slow, getting to know each other as friends first to see if we’re compatible as more than just bed partners first.” Irene said as Teresa paused while the words sunk in. “And it’s late, I can drop you off at home in the morning.”

“Yes, of course, I don’t want to rush either. Though I really should just catch a rideshare, I don’t live that far from here.” Teresa said, a large smile firmly in place as she gathered her small purse. “And don’t be all noble trying to just give me a lift.” 

Irene’s mouth snapped closed to stop herself from offering. “Fine, but then you have to call when you’ve made it home safe.” 

“Will do ma’am.” Teresa said with a wink while she pulled out her phone to call a car.

Irene watched her tap away at her screen with that soft smile on her face and felt her heart clench. She would love to let Teresa stay and they just talked, but they both needed to process tonight first.

“Done, it’ll be here very soon surprisingly, so I better get out there just in case.” Teresa said looking at her.

“I’ll walk you out and wait with you then.” 

They both headed to the front door quietly neither wanting to break the mood now, not wanting to say the wrong thing and mess up the bit of progress they made. Teresa slipped back into her heels then glanced back at Irene. She looked worried and like she wanted to say more, do more, but she kept silent.

“Maybe we can meet for lunch next week.” Irene suggested casually.

“Making the first move now, I’ll have my assistant call yours then.” Teresa said as her phone chimed. “That’s it for me then, and thanks for listening.” She added pressing a kiss to Irene’s cheek before slipping out the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No there was no coffee, and I didn't want to put the last two chaps together. Also I'm saying sorry now because I have no idea when the next chapter is coming. I like dialogue, sorry not sorry.


End file.
